brittany nicole

My very first job in the retail world was at Maurices. I was hired in May 2011. The crazy part about this job opportunity is that I was a college student working on campus. I decided to be in the Black Student Alliance Fashion Show that year and Maurices was one of the sponsors. So I actually had never bought a single thing out of there before.

I only went in on this particular day to try on my wardrobe pieces for the Fashion Show. On my way out the door, I joked around with the manager and said “Y’all should just hire me now” and she told me to come back for an interview next week. I applied online that same week. Interviewed the next. And I was hired as a Sale Associate.

I loved working there. I loved the discount more. I loved being a personal stylist on payroll.

The location that I worked at couldn’t keep managers on staff for nothing. We were always short-staffed. I personally didn’t mind it because I could get extra hours every week. Once I’m at work, I don’t mind giving you a few more precious hours of my time.

In 2012, they hired me as an Assistant Manager.

To this day, I don’t know if it was because I was the only person who had stayed or if it was because I was already working 30+ hours. Anywho, more money for me so I honestly didn’t mind being promoted.

In retail management, you learn very quickly that people don’t care about your well-being.

So in October 2013, I quit.

2 weeks later, I started working at Victoria’s Secret as a sales associate making what I was making as an Assistant Manager. See how God worked that thing out. This job will spoil you because they love for you to know the products being sold, so they make sure that you get all the goodies for the low. I was able to purchase $50-60 bras for $10 and the T-Shirt bra, they’d give for free sometimes. During this time, my collection of perfume and undergarments and PINK wear was full and I thought maybe I’d one day like to work for their corporate office.

Lies.

Victoria’s Secret decided in 2014 that they were going to go to sales commission for the associates and people started acting weird because how easy is it for females to ensure that they give credit to whom credit is due? Hmph, not easy at all for most. I was not looking forward to this new way of doing things but I enjoyed the money and the perks, so it was worth it to me to stick around for a little longer.

Except before this commission journey began, they decided to conduct a performance review. I wasn’t worried. I come to work on time. I do my job. I stay late sometimes and come in early when called upon. So I should be in the clear, right?

Lies.

So during my performance review, the manager tells me that I’ve received a few complaints about talking too much at closing instead of helping with closing duties. This was my first time hearing such. I asked her which manager shared and she informed me that she couldn’t give names but that I could go ask around.

So I did just that. Only to find that none of the managers admitted to reporting anything similar on my behalf. Now that I think about it, I never asked if it was her… I was frustrated because I felt like someone was trying to hinder me from becoming an Assistant Manager.

And let me tell you why me talking too much at closing time was a no go. At the time, I had an internship at a manufacturing company. My hours there was like 8-5 (Monday -Friday). I would grab a bite to eat and go clock in at Vicky’s. I’ve been working all day long and I’m ready to go too. Mind you, I was still in school as well. If I wasn’t going home to study, I had plans with friends.

I could’t quit though. I needed the extra money to afford the “basic” lifestyle that I was living. And then a big girl job offer came through in the midst of the chaos.

So in September 2014, I quit.

Being a quitter isn’t really my thing, but…

Retail made me quit letting people walk over me. Retail made me quit allowing people to use me. Retail made me quit begging for people to see my worth. Retail made me quit putting others before myself every single time. Retail made me quit assuming that people were out to help me succeed. Retail made me quit trying to gain the approval of my manager. Retail made me quit making excuses for people who were making it harder on me.

Retail made me quit…

And thankfully, I never had to solely depend on another retail job to pay the bills (unless I wanted to make a little extra money on the side during the holiday season). Hey Sephora! I worked there as a Cashier only in October 2015-February 2016

Oh and that one time I was trying to assist God with his plans for me and took a part time job working as an Assistant Manager at Kirkland’s. I worked there for 4 weeks in July/August 2017.

Quitting used to carry such a negative connotation for me.

I learned that being a quitter was me becoming more and more comfortable walking away from situations that were toxic or spaces that I had outgrown unknowingly, so that I could continue on the journey of experiencing more.

Look at me now being more, embracing more, loving more and receiving more…

Still… not afraid to ever “quit” anything anymore.

#BNspired2day